New york: Angola views the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly as an opportunity to reaffirm its position as a State committed to pursuing its national objectives of development, peace, prosperity, and international cooperation. During the event, scheduled to take place from 22 to 28 September in New York, United States, the Angolan delegation will be led by President Joo Louren§o, who arrives in New York, the headquarters of the United Nations, on Sunday and is due to address the General Assembly on Tuesday.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the participation of the Angolan Head of State is expected to add greater political weight to the national representation, strengthen Angola's capacity to influence high-level debates and deepen strategic dialogue with Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organisations and international financial institutions. The meeting is of particular importance to Angola's campaign in support of the candidacy of Josefa Sacko for the post of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as it will bring together numerous Heads of State and Government, foreign ministers, and senior representatives of UN Member States.
The occasion will provide a favourable environment for high-level political contacts aimed at consolidating support, strengthening understanding, and increasing the international visibility of Angola's candidacy, involving countries from all regions, regional organisations, and strategic partners. The possible election of Ambassador Josefa Sacko to lead the FAO, one of the United Nations' most important specialised agencies, would represent a historic milestone for Angolan diplomacy and enhance the country's international standing.
It would also highlight Africa's contribution to global governance and expand Angola's influence in international processes related to food security, sustainable agricultural development, hunger eradication, and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Angola's participation in the High-Level Week is also expected to focus on clearly defined political, diplomatic, and economic objectives.
These include consolidating the country's image as a State committed to peace, sustainable development, international cooperation, respect for international law, and the construction of a more representative, inclusive, effective, and results-oriented multilateral system. During the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the General Debate, several high-level plenary meetings, ministerial gatherings, and thematic events mandated by the General Assembly will take place. These meetings are intended to assess the implementation of key international commitments and adopt policy guidance on priority issues on the multilateral agenda.
Discussions will focus on matters of global importance, including strengthening multilateralism, sustainable development, development financing, human rights, global health, climate change, food security, the elimination of nuclear weapons, and global governance. The General Debate is the principal political segment of the United Nations General Assembly and the most important annual high-level political forum within the multilateral system. It provides a platform for the organisation's 193 Member States to assess international developments and define the priorities of the global body.
It also offers Member States an opportunity to present their strategic priorities, strengthen political dialogue, and identify areas of convergence capable of supporting future multilateral initiatives. During the same period, a High-Level Meeting will be held to mark the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development, providing an opportunity for political reflection and renewed commitment by the international community to the effective implementation of this fundamental human right.
The Declaration recognises development as an inalienable human right and establishes that all people and peoples have the right to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from a process of economic, social, cultural, and political development that enables the full realisation of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It also reaffirms the responsibility of States to create conditions conducive to development and recognises international cooperation as an essential element in reducing structural inequalities and promoting a fairer and more equitable international economic order. A High-Level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise will also be held to assess the multidimensional impacts of rising global sea levels and promote a coordinated international response to one of the most critical challenges arising from climate change.
According to the latest scientific assessments, sea-level rise is accelerating as a result of global warming, the melting of polar ice caps and glaciers, and the thermal expansion of the oceans, posing a growing threat to millions of people, particularly in coastal areas, small island States, and countries with extensive coastlines.
This phenomenon contributes to coastal erosion, the salinisation of water resources, the degradation of marine ecosystems, increased coastal flooding, and population displacement, while also affecting food security, critical infrastructure, maritime trade, biodiversity, and sustainable economic development. Given the growing scale of the challenge, the international community recognises that sea-level rise requires an urgent, coordinated response based on the best available scientific evidence.
Another significant event will be the High-Level Meeting marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), which will review progress achieved since its adoption in 2001 and identify persistent challenges in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance.
The DDPA remains the United Nations' principal international normative framework for the prevention and elimination of racism and racial discrimination, providing guidance for public policy, strengthening national legislative frameworks, promoting equal opportunities, and protecting human rights, with particular attention to vulnerable individuals and groups.
The High-Level Plenary Meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the international community's commitment to nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and the exclusively peaceful use of nuclear energy, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and relevant international instruments.
The current international environment is marked by increasing geopolitical and strategic tensions, the modernisation of nuclear arsenals, the weakening of certain multilateral arms-control mechanisms, and the resurgence of rhetoric associated with nuclear deterrence.
These factors have contributed to heightened risks to international peace and security, reinforcing the need to revitalise multilateral efforts towards nuclear disarmament and the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In conclusion, the High-Level Week represents a strategic opportunity for Angola to strengthen its international profile, consolidate its influence in key global governance processes, and contribute actively to collective responses to contemporary challenges related to international peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, global health, human rights, and the reform of multilateral institutions.
In an international context characterised by profound geopolitical transformations, increasingly complex transnational challenges, and the need to revitalise multilateralism, Angola's participation is expected to reaffirm its vision of global governance.
That vision is based on the defence of dialogue, international cooperation, respect for international law, and the central role of the United Nations as the principal forum for political consultation among States. At the same time, the presence of a multidisciplinary ministerial delegation will ensure substantive participation in the various sectoral meetings, promote an integrated approach to national priorities, and facilitate the establishment of new political, economic, financial, and scientific-technical cooperation initiatives.
Angola's participation will also provide an opportunity to consolidate the country's image as a credible, predictable, and constructive partner committed to promoting peace, regional stability, African integration, human rights, international economic justice, sustainable development, and the strengthening of a more representative, effective, and inclusive multilateral system.
In short, Angola's presence at the event represents not only the fulfilment of its responsibilities as a United Nations Member State, but also a strategic foreign policy instrument serving the defence of national interests.
